A Protective Beast
by Understated Elegance
Summary: Faye has returned after her disappearance 4 years ago. Why is she asking Gaston to kill her? Sequel to 'A Beastly Beauty.' /Gaston
1. I'm Home

_Author's Note:_

_Hello everyone, & welcome to the second part of Gaston & Faye's story. Please read the first part, A Beastly Beauty before reading this story if you don't want to get lost with references to the prequel._

_This story will take place approximately 4 years later from Faye's departure. Gaston is about 24 now, & Faye is 20. Now, before I get started, I want to explain a little bit why I made my first story end the way it did._

_Faye was too weak. It's as simple as that. She was a sheltered girl with far too many dependencies & insecurities to truly give herself to Gaston. & while Gaston was hell-bent to make things work, I can see a love like theirs dying out within a couple of years. So, to save them, I pulled the characters apart long enough for Faye to do some growing up on her own. She will have had experiences (which you will discover along the way) that will have let her blossom into a more confident, strong, & sexier woman._

_So please don't hurt me, anyone. I ripped them apart out of love. I swear._

_~Lala_

* * *

In the cool autumn of London, the hunter waited patiently for his prey.

Or rather, the prey was waiting with a trap set. It was a risky move, trying to lure in the great pirate Judas. That damned blackened man would be lured in by Gaston's recent claims to be the thief himself. He'd even gone as far as to take credit for a bit of made up work, knowing all too well that his target's pride wouldn't allow another to take credit for his stealing. It was remarkable how even this supposed saint would be lured in by such a feeble claim, but all he had to do was rough up a bloke or two & start the rumor that Judas had become violent & dangerous.

Honestly, he was shocked that it had come to this point. He'd offered bounty, searched through all of the police reports that could possibly have anything to do with Judas, & even made friends with streetwise informers. But nothing had worked. He knew people respected the man for being a model example of Robin Hood by taking his stolen riches to work houses, but no one seemed willing to help him out.

Judas's thievery was equally displayed on land & water, for he was a man who obviously enjoyed having variety in his exploits. His land raids caused just as much hell as the piracy, & the piracy loads seemed to be pretty heavy, from what Gaston could make out. The only pattern Judas really had was that he was discriminate in robbing only from the members of the rich people that littered upper-class.

Ironically, if Judas hadn't stolen something very important from him, Gaston probably would have left the pirate well-enough alone. A month ago, Gaston had woken to find the dreaded "Judas' kiss" on his pillow, a small white card that displayed a perfect, red kiss mark in the center. & Faye's wedding ring was gone. It was all he had left of her, & that bastard had the nerve to take it. As insult to injury, the damned thief had stolen much riches from his fleet, albeit a little at a time; if he wasn't so careful with profits, he'd probably would have never noticed the difference. Jean Gaston Foret was not a man to be trifled with, & this cur would find that out soon.

Being used to bars & seedier locations from his home town, Gaston actually fit quite well inside the _Paramour Dungeon_ for a wealthy exporter. He stayed in a back corner to avoid being snuck up on, wore less-refined clothing, & allowed his hair to be more frayed than usual. As Gaston finished his pint from his table, the bartender Kerrick, an older man with no hair & bushy black brows gave Gaston a bit of a sigh, as though he were completely exasperated at this point.

"Ye sure he's comin', Boy?" the man asked with a haggard voice. Looking at the large grandfather clock announcing that it was nearly 3am, Gaston had to admit that the situation did look bleak. But not hopeless. he had one more hour until this bar closed, & just knew that Jusad would come, seeking to take down the man who claimed to be him & sat in this bar. Even Judas had enough pride to be a man. & then Gaston would kill him.

"He will come," Gaston replied to the old man softly. He had to come; this was his last chance to lure out the dirty Judas. His pride, & hopes of ever getting Faye's ring back were both on the line. A part of him wanted to be done with the damn ring & his deserting wife, growing tired of making excuses at parties over her "weak health" & the lonely nights in his bed. Why should he be loyal to a woman who deserted him for so long? Why was he?

Suddenly, the rickety door to the pub swung open, & the unmistakable form of a cloaked woman came into the room. Gaston felt his breathing almost completely stop as he took in her tattered princess-like gown & cloak, seeing the cuts & bruises on her exposed hands. He just wished that he could see her face. Immediately, Kerrick rushed to her, being a father of two girls himself, & tried to inspect her, but she would have none of his fussing, & simply dodged around him to get closer to Gaston's table.

"Are you the thief Judas?" the woman asked quietly. Gaston didn't like how familiar her voice sounded, & tilted his head, trying to get a view from her hidden face. He knew he'd heard this voice, but where from?

"Are you alone?" Gaston countered, his gaze on the woman firm. The poor angel was apparently nervous, clutching a smal satchel to her chest as she inched closer to Gaston. Was she a worker of Judas; a scout, maybe? Certainly, even the foolish thief knew better than to send the fairer sex into a seedy bar searching for information.

"Yes," the woman replied with her quiet voice before she repeated, "Are you Judas?"

"Look at me when you speak, little kitten."

The woman didn't comply with his command but stubbornly continued to hide her face with her cloak. Was that anger he sensed coming from the gentle woman? It honestly pleased him a little; good, she wasn't a doormat he would have to nurse out of a faint.

"Pray, answer me," she insisted softly. "Are you Judas? I have important business with him, an urgent deal I must make."

"I am Judas," Gaston grunted, seeing he was getting nowhere with the stubborn hooded figure.

"It's said that you'll do any task if the payment is enough. Is that true, Judas Sir?"

"It is," Gaston responded, starting to wonder just how seedy Judas could be, taking up jobs for hire, "What is it you want me to do, little kitten?"

In answer to his question, the hooded woman with her familiar voice tossed her small bag onto the center of Gaston's table. The drawstring tore open and several silver coins spilled out. Kerrick let out a low whistle from the bar, having gone back to his post. The sound of him putting his tankards onto the counter after cleaning them out was the only sound for a full minute as Gaston looked over his visitor critically. The stupid woman wasn't only alone in the ghettos, but carrying a large sum of money; it was like she _wanted_ to be taken advantage of.

"There are thirty pieces," the woman announced softly, her hood still hiding her face.

Gaston raised an eyebrow in reaction to that statement. Was this woman mad, walking around with that kind of money in this part of town? He didn't know if he wanted to throttle her or not, now. "Thirty pieces of silver?"

"I would like you to kill someone, please."

"Ah," Gaston drawled out, hiding his complete shock. His disappointment was almost painful. She looked so damned innocent all cuddled under her hood, so pitifully vulnerable, yet she was sweetly asking him to murder someone.

"And who is this victim? Your husband, perchance?" Gaston growled; the cynicism in his voice was as grating & completely unmistakable. She didn't seem to mind his biting tone, shaking her head. Oddly, she was good at staying on task, being a foolish woman. Perhaps he should be more careful now.

"No," the woman answered.

"No? So you aren't married then?"

"Does it matter if I am?"

"Oh, yes," he countered in a whisper to match hers, suddenly feeling eager to bully her, get some new kind of reaction from the enigma before him, "It matters very much."

"No... I'm not married. But I did have a husband once."

"Who is it you want killed? Your father? Your brother?"

The woman shook her head again & hugged her cape closer to her body. The urge to reach out, to take her into his arms, to offer her comfort & protection very nearly overwhelmed Gaston. He suddenly felt outraged for her, then had to shake his head over such a fanciful notion. Hell, the woman was contracting him to murder someone. She wasn't _that_ sweet. & he couldn't tell if that amused him or not.

With a sigh, Gaston slowly leaned forward. His patience was wearing as thin as his pauper's coat, & he tried his best not to go up to the woman & shake her until she gained some sense.

"I tire of having to question you, Kitten. Tell me who you would like me to kill."

"I would like you to accept this task before I explain," the caped woman insisted.

The woman refused to back down as well, it seemed. She still refused to look him in the eye. That fact irritated him, almost as much as the gnawing sense of familiarity he felt from her voice. There was no way he'd never spoken to her before.

"All right," Gaston lied. "I accept."

The woman's shoulders sagged in what Gaston surmised was acute relief. Who had driven her to want him dead so badly? It was killing him to not know. Yes, he wasn't really Judas, & yes, he should be warning her that this was a bad idea, but he was just too intrigued now.

"Tell me who my victim is," Gaston instructed the woman once he composed his frazzled mind.

At his order, the woman finally lifted her gaze to look at him from under the hood of her cloak. The torment Gaston felt as he saw her emerald eyes made his chest ache, & his heart almost stopped when she pulled the hood down to reveal beautiful, rust-colored hair & unmistakable pretty face. Kerrick let out another soft whistle from his bar as the woman gazed upon Gaston, his own thoughts centered around a thought that the girl looked like an angel, & one that took a trip through purgatory to get there. There were small scratches on her cheek & neck, like on her hands, but there was no denying who she was.

_Faye Arene Foret_ stood before Gaston in the ratty old bar at the early morning hour, resolve showing in her eyes as she reached into her cloak & then slid a dagger across the table to him.

"I want you to kill _me_."


	2. A Man's Word

_Author's Note:_

_I want to thank everyone so far for the warm reception of my return. I've been in possibly the worst writers' blocks in my life recently, & haven't been writing much of anything. It's been so bad; I even considered closing down my page & giving up. But that would be beyond selfish & make me a quitter. So here I am. :3_

* * *

"You cannot be serious about that, Lass," Ferrick grunted after a long silence. Faye kept her gaze on Gaston, unfazed by the man's obvious shock. Gaston, in turn, continued to stare at her, unsure of how to respond to Faye being in the same room as him after so long. & of course, Ferrick had no idea who she really was.

"I'm afraid I'm completely serious," Faye told Ferrick, her gaze never leaving Gaston's, "Why else would I come out here, in this part of town, all alone?" Ferrick grumbled under his breath in obvious distress, unsure of how to respond to Faye's words. Gaston, on the other hand, did not seem to have the same problem.

"I think you've lost your mind," he declared, his eyes narrowing in obvious displeasure as he sat up more in his chair.

Faye didn't flinch for a moment, the look in her eyes calm, thoughtful even. Gaston wondered what the woman could be possibly thinking as he watched her. She didn't seem to have registered who he was at all. Did she not remember her own husband? It seemed to be an absurd idea, but it was all he could think of. His Faye was never this serious, or unbending. By now, she would be crying & clinging to him. It was like someone had completely wiped her mind of everything she once was, & then casually tossed her back to him.

"I am afraid that's not that case, Mr. Judas," Faye sighed softly, "I think my life would be easier if that were the truth."

"Hmm," Gaston grunted, affirming her statement, but not making any other comments. The urge to yell at Faye & shake her was growing now, as was his need to wrap his hands around her neck & kiss her. No, he meant that he wanted to throttle her, definitely throttle her. As least, he wanted to believe that he wasn't still swayed by her beauty.

"When would you like to do this task?" Faye suddenly asked, moving back to her rather... unsavory request. Gaston was so floored by her seriousness & straightforward attitude, he almost choked on air trying to get himself to some level of calm. Standing, Gaston began to circle his table, Faye staying completely still where she stood even now.

"You're still calling this a _task_?"

"Of course, that is what this is, is it not?"

"Oh, it's something, alright."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Faye whispered, her cheeks a little flushed. "I didn't mean to upset you, Mr. Judas."

"& why do you think you've upset me?"

"You're shouting at me, Mr. Judas."

As Faye nodded in affirmation, Gaston grit his teeth, trying very hard to not stand up & lay hands on a woman for the first time in his life. When did Faye have such a mouth on her, & why the hell was she so bent on dying at the hands of a pirate? She looked so unbearably sincere & innocent in this moment, hell it even looked like she might cry.

"I s-see that I have distressed you, Mr. Judas," Faye told Gaston, reaching up with her cut & bruised fingers to clutch her cloak closer to her body, "If I may ask you, have you ever killed a woman before tonight?" Gaston felt the muscle in his forehead throb a little at her question, her eyes brimming with curiosity now. That's it, he was dreaming right now; he'd fallen asleep at the bar & he was having a cruel dream. As much as part of him was elated that Faye was in front of him right now, there was no way he could accept that she would ever be asking for something like this.

"No," Gaston gruffed in a reply, "I've never killed a woman before tonight."

Damn it all, there was sympathy & worry in Faye's gaze now. Was she really trying to get on level with a killer right now, or was she just screwing with his head now? He couldn't tell, especially not with her different responses to him.

"There is no need to worry, Mr. Judas," Faye chippered with a warm smile, "I will be very cooperative. I'll do whatever I can to help you do it."

"You'll help me?" Gaston nearly shouted again, "Woman, are you daft? Have you completely lost your mind? If you don't start making damned sense, I do believe I'm going to strangle you, _right now._"

"But you mustn't!" Faye huffed, "I'm the one who contracted you, & I don't want to be strangled to death! Since I'm paying, I get to choose."

"You really have lost your damned mind," Gaston hissed. He stalked around the table & grabbed Faye's shoulders, but her gaze was still determined, strong to meet his. Quickly, she slapped his hands away, her face contorted into an expression he didn't quite comprehend at first.

"I'm not crazy," Faye insisted, her eyes becoming more vulnerable as she looked at him, "But I am desperate; I am going to die tonight, Mr. Judas, if not by your hands, than by others. & I would very much prefer to decide who will kill me, & how. Surely you understand that?"

Ah, now they were finally getting somewhere. Someone was after Faye, & she was worried enough to try & off herself before her attackers cornered her. But didn't she realize that he, her _husband,_ could protect her from any danger coming her way? It suddenly occurred to him in that moment that if he wasn't the one pretending to be Judas, Faye could possibly be getting her throat actually slit in this moment. Son of a bitch, she was serious.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Gaston hissed softly to his wife.

"Of course," Faye mumbled with a thoroughly disgruntled look on her face, "How many more questions will you be asking me here? Is it normal for you to interview the people you kill? Your hesitation here is starting to alarm me, very much so."

"You're going to have to satisfy my curiosity before I decide," Gaston told Faye quietly, "I still don't understand why you're _here_, requesting that someone kill you when you probably _have a home to return to_." Gaston squeezed Faye's shoulders & emphasized that she should be home somewhere, but Faye still refused to back down & admit that it was her, or at least say _something_ that had to do with their marriage.

"No, I won't answer anymore of you silly questions, Mr. Judas!"

"Then I won't be killing you, will I?"

"Rogue!" Faye cried out. "You promised me you would kill whoever I asked you too, you even gave me your word!"

"I lied."

"You are a disappointment, Mr. Judas!" Faye growled, her irritation growing at an alarming rate, forcing Gaston off balance again, "A man of honor wouldn't so easily lie or break his word to a contractor. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"I never said that I had honor, _little kitten_," Gaston growled as Faye slapped his hands from her shoulder. Faye's green eyes blazed with anger, her ferocity now matching Gastons, nay, overpowering his. If he didn't know any better, he'd be a little scared of her in that moment. & who knows, maybe he should. There was no telling just how much Faye had changed over the past few years.

Leaning forward, the woman softly whispered, "I was told Judas never, _ever_ breaks his word."

"You were misinformed," Gaston replied nonchalantly.

They were almost nose to nose now. Gaston tried to concentrate on their heated debate, but her wonderful scent, so clean, so utterly feminine, kept getting in the way. Damn it, he still remembered what her body looked like under those clothes, what it was like to hold her naked, warm skin against his. & after four years, there was a lot of catching up he wanted to do; but first thing was first, he was going to force his wife to tell him what the hell was going on & then come home with him.

"I'm leaving," she announced suddenly.

"I'm sorry I bothered you, Judas, or Jean, or whatever your real name is," she whispered. She tied the string into a knot, then tucked the bag in her pocket. When she turned and started for the door, Gaston called out. "Where do you think you're going?"

However, his words fell on deaf ears & Faye had turned around & was walking out the front door of the bar. Almost tripping over himself, Gaston hurried after his wife, finally getting her to stop stomping along when they reached the entrance of the pier.

"Who is trying to kill you?" Gaston asked impatiently, but Faye was having none of it now & tried to slip around him. With a growl, Gaston grabbed her arm, only to have it swatted away.

"Do not touch me, Jean," Faye hissed, "I need to find someone to kill me."

"No, you just called me Jean, you remember who I am!"

"Of course I do, you insufferable man, I was tied to you for almost half a year!"

Gaston felt his poor heart drop to his stomach as Faye lashed out at him, her eyes still fierce. She felt like she was tied to him? Wasn't it the other damn way around? It was high time he got answers out of this fickle woman now, starting with why the hell she ran away. Grabbing Faye's arm, Gaston dragged her to a nearby sidewalk bench. He finally got her to stop squirming & looked down at her, his frustration melting a little when he saw tears in her eyes; there was the Faye he used to know. No matter how feisty she got, he knew she would always be tenderhearted as ever.

"Faye, whatever you've gotten yourself into, it can't be that bad," Gaston sighed as he reached up & gently tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, "Come morning, you will be happy that I won't let you hire some man to kill you."

"Jean, I will be dead by morning," Faye insisted, "Now let me go so I can pay someone to help me die with dignity." Gaston rolled his eyes, dragging Faye to sit down with him, still refusing to let her squirm off. He handed her a kerchief & watched her wipe away her tears with it, wondering who would even want her killed. Was Whitley still after her, perhaps? That seemed to be the most logical answer to him.

"Faye, there is no dying with dignity," Gaston finally grunted, "You just die." He gently tucked Faye into his arm, almost laughing when she gave a weak attempt to squirm free. She wasn't going anywhere now, no, not that he had her back in his sights. With a groan, he was forced to release her, but kept a firm grip on her hand.

"You are not allowed to touch me, Jean," Faye announced with her green eyes glittering with anger now, "let me go."

"I will touch you whenever I want, _wife_, & I am taking you to my town house," Gaston announced as his rounding coach came back to pick him up, "On the ride home, you are going to tell me who is after you, & why."

"Only after you tell me why you're a pirate now," Faye responded with a huff. Gaston rolled his eyes as the carriage came to a stop. He none-too-gently pushed Faye to the carriage & opened the door for her, using his broad shoulders to prevent her from running off. Begrudgingly, Faye had to allow him to herd her inside & plopped down on the other side of the carriage in the most unladylike way. With a soft knock on the roof, Gaston signaled his driver to get going & adjusted himself into his own seat.

"Faye, I'm not Judas," Gaston growled under his voice, "I was just pretending to be him." Faye let out an inelegant snort of outcry, scowling at Gaston in the darkness of his cart. Gaston couldn't see her face clearly in the shadows, but her crossed arms were a sign that she was obviously displeased.

"Now I understand," she huffed, "You wanted to ruin the pirate's good name by breaking your word to everyone who came into that bar. Is that it, Jean? Do you slander good names for sport now?"

Gaston only let out an angry grunt in reply to her accusation, resting back against his seat. Damn it, why did getting his wife back home have to be so complicated? & why the hell would she see Judas as some kind of romantic character out to save the world? Sadly, shaking sense into her would have to wait until a later time.

"Now," Gaston sighed, trapping Faye between his long legs & leaning closer. She stayed perfectly still, not seeming to react to his closeness like she used to. Faye was just a whole different person now.

"Tell me who is coming after you," Gaston ordered Faye softly, "& tell me why."


End file.
